I have 2 FELV fosters of my own, and have lost 3 beloved FELV kitties in the last, um, 3 years - Mr. Black Kitty, Mittens, and Calawalla Banana Boo-boo. So a lingering interest. I'm using daily interferon alpha right now with 2 kitties, Dallas and Houston, and feel pretty comfortable with that. The IO is quite expensive, isn't it. Hope the FDA comes around.
That would be great to be able to get the kitties to turn negative before it enters the bone marrow.
Now this is injected, right? Or is it IV? Sorry, I don't recall if you've said.
Gloria
At 02:39 PM 4/6/2005, you wrote:
Gloria,
It's been $750 per order, 3 "batches" per order. If we use it the way Paolo did, then it would be 1 box per protocol, (5 days of treatment duration, 1 vial per day). So one batch would actually cost, one third of that.
I just realized that you are the one with the question about the rescue kitten who tested negative and then re-tested positive. One of the great hopes I have for the VO, is that if a cat is in the first few stages of infection, the VO may help them to clear it. This is only my hope/suspicion, I've never seen any research on this, but it makes sense to me that if the virus is still being fought by the host, and it hasn't entered their bone marrow, there is a better chance of clearing it. Are you asking these questions about the VO for the kitten in question?
Nina
Gloria B. Lane wrote:
Oops - brain stress, I guess - reading too many emails at once. I knew that it was Nina! So sounds like it could cost maybe $750 for each batch.
Does your vet administer it sub q or iv? How many times / months is that anticipated, I wonder?
Thanks much -
Gloria
At 12:24 PM 4/6/2005, you wrote:
Hi Gloria,
It's actually, Nina writing! I'm not sure what costs you're talking about here. What I've been paying is the $750 for the minimum order from Abbey Vet. My vet's office hasn't been charging me for the paperwork, or adding anything to the amount charged by the drug company, the $750 includes postage. I guess that's up to each vet.
I suppose my vet is taking pity on me, Grace and Jazz aren't the only ones I bring to this vet, so maybe they think they've gotten enough out of me, who knows? I don't know how much Michelle Lerner (Simon and Lucy's mom), paid, and I know that Kyle has started his application dispensation work with the FDA, so we'll see how much it costs him. I haven't gotten a cost on my latest shipment either, maybe it's gone down! I hope so. I hesitated in ordering it again, but I could just picture myself with a sick kitty and no way to help her, so I bit the bullet and charged it yet again.
Nina
Gloria B. Lane wrote:
Hey Michelle,
So all in all, how much do you project that it will cost?
Thanks so much -
Gloria
At 11:26 AM 4/6/2005, you wrote:
Gloria,
My vet's liaison, Michelle Rose, has a packet of info for any vet that's interested in getting a special dispensation from the FDA, (your vet's office has to make the call). After you get the approval it still needs to be ordered from the UK. I'm pretty sure Michelle has included that info as well, (the company is called Abbey Vet).
Marlene just posted about her investigations concerning availability in Canada, apparently it's not available there yet except on an emergency basis.
BTW, Marlene,
You asked about the costs. So far it's cost me about $750 bucks for three boxes, which is Abbey Vet's minimum order, (5 double vials in each box). Part of that cost includes the monetary exchange rate with Europe, which is not great right now. When we can get it from Canada, we'll at least save in that regard, and the shipping should be faster.
The 3 boxes of VO are at least enough for 3, separate 5 day protocols, since my cats are so small, I've been able to treat two cats at a time, with one getting the lion's share, (whoever's sickest). So, it does last awhile. I've just placed my 3rd order, (still scratching my head about how I'm going to pay my credit card off!).
Nina
